Micro-halogen headlight offers 360-degrees of visibility to increase your safety on nighttime rides. Headlight's clear case captures normally wasted light and illuminates the entire lamp body, making you visible from all directions. Headlight uses exclusive micro-halogen bulb technology that conserves battery life while emitting a brighter beam. Features easy snap-in mount that can be placed on or below the handlebars. Runs up to 3-hours on 4 AA batteries.

User Reviews (9)

Showing 1-9 of 9

hedgehog1971
Cross Country Rider [Dec 08, 2009]

Strength:

This light is no longer available to buy as new (in the UK at least) which is a shame. LED's are now "in" and have forced out most of the halogen lamps in the lower price bracket, despite the fact that LED lamps are generally inferior for lighting the way in dark backroads.
The HL-MC200 is probably one of the last decent low priced halogens that Cateye made before bowing to the demands of "townies" and switching to LED.
Whilst LED's are great for being seen, the colour and quality of their output is not suitable for riding in true dark environments; the light from LED's makes details and objects in the road ahead appear washed out and devoid of colour. Halogens, on the other hand, produce far better clarity ahead of the cyclist. I managed to break my HL-MC200 only after throwing my bike to the ground to confront a lorry driver who nearly ran me down! (In broad daylight, I should add!) The light is powerful and provides a good area of illumination way in front of the bike. I'm now bidding for another one on Ebay!

Weakness:

There's a knack to removing the battery cover, but you soon get the hang of it.

If you need to see where you're going and don't have a lot of cash to hand: forget LED's! Get a halogen, and get hold of a Cateye HL-MC200, if you can find one.

Similar Products Used:
Smart Halogen; Good lamp but tricky bracket and a smaller illumination area

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

hedgehog1971 Cross Country Rider

[Dec 08, 2009]

Strength:

This light is no longer available to buy as new (in the UK at least) which is a shame. LED's are now "in" and have forced out most of the halogen lamps in the lower price bracket, despite the fact that LED lamps are generally inferior for lighting the way in dark backroads.
The HL-MC200 is probably one of the last decent low priced halogens that Cateye made before bowing to the demands of "townies" and switching to LED.
Whilst LED's are great for being seen, the colour and quality of their output is not suitable for riding in true dark environments; the light from LED's makes details and objects in the road ahead appear washed out and devoid of colour. Halogens, on the other hand, produce far better clarity ahead of the cyclist. I managed to break my HL-MC200 only after throwing my bike to the ground to confront a lorry driver who nearly ran me down! (In broad daylight, I should add!) The light is powerful and provides a good area of illumination way in front of the bike. I'm now bidding for another one on Ebay!

Weakness:
There's a knack to removing the battery cover, but you soon get the hang of it.

If you need to see where you're going and don't have a lot of cash to hand: forget LED's! Get a halogen, and get hold of a Cateye HL-MC200, if you can find one.

Similar Products Used:
Smart Halogen; Good lamp but tricky bracket and a smaller illumination area

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Scott Cole
Cross Country Rider [Dec 18, 2001]

Strength:

none

Weakness:

weak beam, poor pattern, very poorly constructed.

AGGHHHH! Bike shop 1--humans 0. I can't believe I paid actual money for this piece of absolute junk. The beam--what there is of it--has a bizarre pattern. The unit was very difficult to even get the batteries in; it felt like it would break.I can't believe a company like Cateye could put out something this low. I think its main function is to simply destroy any trace of night vision. I really wish I had that $20 back...I'm only giving a rating of 1 because 0 is not available.

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Scott Cole Cross Country Rider

[Dec 18, 2001]

Strength:

none

Weakness:
weak beam, poor pattern, very poorly constructed.

AGGHHHH! Bike shop 1--humans 0. I can't believe I paid actual money for this piece of absolute junk. The beam--what there is of it--has a bizarre pattern. The unit was very difficult to even get the batteries in; it felt like it would break.I can't believe a company like Cateye could put out something this low. I think its main function is to simply destroy any trace of night vision. I really wish I had that $20 back...I'm only giving a rating of 1 because 0 is not available.

I am impressed with the brightness of this little halogen light. I ride by the SF Bay and it is quite dark out there if you have ever ridden by it. The light illuminates my bicycle path well. In fact, it is so bright, I worry about blinding people who are walking towards me.

I can get well over 1 hour before it starts to dim. However, I can still ride with the light dimmed but I don't like to. I haven't done it yet (kind of scared to try because you don't want to get stranded in the dark), but I'm guessing I could get at least 2 hours out of this thing. I use rechargeable Nimh's (2400mah Energizer) in my light.

I am a casual bike rider although I do most of my riding at night which necessitated a light. I do not understand all the negative reviews here. I think my light (although it does have a weird light pattern) is very bright and adequate for my needs. I've taken my light into pitch black areas and I can see fine. A brighter light would be nice, but it simply doesn't fit into my budget.

I also think if you are going to compare this light with another light, you should take cost into consideration. Cygo's start around $60 (triple the price) to well over $100. For triple the price I think you should get a better quality light. Don't compare apples to oranges. If you want to compare the Cat Eye to another light in the $20 range fine (good luck finding one). Don't compare a $20 light with a $100 light or even a $60 light. It's a fair or accurate comparison.

I give this light 4 flamin dogs overall instead of 5 because the light cover is hard to remove.

It should get a 5 for value since it so inexpensive, however the light pattern is weird making it slightly difficult to see out of one corner so it only gets a 4 here. Still overall a very good light.

I would recommend to a friend who does recreational riding, and takes good care of their gear, but if you bike every single night, you have to pay the price and get a higher quality setup.

I am impressed with the brightness of this little halogen light. I ride by the SF Bay and it is quite dark out there if you have ever ridden by it. The light illuminates my bicycle path well. In fact, it is so bright, I worry about blinding people who are walking towards me.

I can get well over 1 hour before it starts to dim. However, I can still ride with the light dimmed but I don't like to. I haven't done it yet (kind of scared to try because you don't want to get stranded in the dark), but I'm guessing I could get at least 2 hours out of this thing. I use rechargeable Nimh's (2400mah Energizer) in my light.

I am a casual bike rider although I do most of my riding at night which necessitated a light. I do not understand all the negative reviews here. I think my light (although it does have a weird light pattern) is very bright and adequate for my needs. I've taken my light into pitch black areas and I can see fine. A brighter light would be nice, but it simply doesn't fit into my budget.

I also think if you are going to compare this light with another light, you should take cost into consideration. Cygo's start around $60 (triple the price) to well over $100. For triple the price I think you should get a better quality light. Don't compare apples to oranges. If you want to compare the Cat Eye to another light in the $20 range fine (good luck finding one). Don't compare a $20 light with a $100 light or even a $60 light. It's a fair or accurate comparison.

I give this light 4 flamin dogs overall instead of 5 because the light cover is hard to remove.

It should get a 5 for value since it so inexpensive, however the light pattern is weird making it slightly difficult to see out of one corner so it only gets a 4 here. Still overall a very good light.

I would recommend to a friend who does recreational riding, and takes good care of their gear, but if you bike every single night, you have to pay the price and get a higher quality setup.

Similar Products Used:
Petzl headlamp

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Dave S
Cross Country Rider [Mar 08, 2003]

Strength:

A great AA battery holder for any other light on your bike.

Weakness:

Too many for so little space. More crap from cat. Weak light. Poorly designed bulb reflector that won't make contact. Lousy switch that won't turn off, burning out batteries, but you don't know it because the bulb isn't on.

Elephant Dung. Burning sulpher (rotten eggs). Make a paper doll of your money and burn in effigy, would be better than burning it away on this piece of S%!T. Cats are a waste of resources. Both the furry kind and light company. I am the fool that bought this, the 3rd light from cat, and definately the last. You never know when the contacts will fail leaving it useless even as a back-up. Buy some duct tape and a mag light flashlight and get better results. One fart over rates this light.

Similar Products Used:
Planet Bike, and now Cygo Light with the dual 10 and 15 watt bulbs (awesome product).

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Dave S Cross Country Rider

[Mar 08, 2003]

Strength:

A great AA battery holder for any other light on your bike.

Weakness:
Too many for so little space. More crap from cat. Weak light. Poorly designed bulb reflector that won't make contact. Lousy switch that won't turn off, burning out batteries, but you don't know it because the bulb isn't on.

Elephant Dung. Burning sulpher (rotten eggs). Make a paper doll of your money and burn in effigy, would be better than burning it away on this piece of S%!T. Cats are a waste of resources. Both the furry kind and light company. I am the fool that bought this, the 3rd light from cat, and definately the last. You never know when the contacts will fail leaving it useless even as a back-up. Buy some duct tape and a mag light flashlight and get better results. One fart over rates this light.

Similar Products Used:
Planet Bike, and now Cygo Light with the dual 10 and 15 watt bulbs (awesome product).

I commute at night so I need a decent light. This one barely fit the bill, but I was ok with it until it fell apart for no apparant reason. Unfortunately, it was too dark to find all of the components, so I had to buy a new light anyway. Overall, a bad product. Put your money toward something better.

I commute at night so I need a decent light. This one barely fit the bill, but I was ok with it until it fell apart for no apparant reason. Unfortunately, it was too dark to find all of the components, so I had to buy a new light anyway. Overall, a bad product. Put your money toward something better.

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Blake Johnson, M.D.
Cross Country Rider [Jul 21, 2002]

Strength:

Price was right on. This bulb/reflector combo has a very white light. You want to run the beam high and shadow the immediate foreground to get proper performance.

Weakness:

None when considering the price.

Fantastic light for about 20 bucks. Run rechargable NiMH batteries for added value and burn time.

Similar Products Used:
Previous Cateyes

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

Blake Johnson, M.D. Cross Country Rider

[Jul 21, 2002]

Strength:

Price was right on. This bulb/reflector combo has a very white light. You want to run the beam high and shadow the immediate foreground to get proper performance.

Weakness:
None when considering the price.

Fantastic light for about 20 bucks. Run rechargable NiMH batteries for added value and burn time.

Similar Products Used:
Previous Cateyes

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

jack
Cross Country Rider [May 20, 2002]

Strength:

None, except that the mount allows the light to swivel a few degrees - DON'T BUY THIS JUNK BIKE LIGHT

Similar Products Used:
LIGHTMAN STROBE LIGHT - very bright, but eats batteries like crazy; also Lightman's plastic lens cracked when dropped; Lightman strobe light's clip-on can come off without warning; Lightman won't work with some rechargeable alkaline batteries; there are two "grades" of Lightman strobe - high power and medium power

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

jack Cross Country Rider

[May 20, 2002]

Strength:

None, except that the mount allows the light to swivel a few degrees - DON'T BUY THIS JUNK BIKE LIGHT

Similar Products Used:
LIGHTMAN STROBE LIGHT - very bright, but eats batteries like crazy; also Lightman's plastic lens cracked when dropped; Lightman strobe light's clip-on can come off without warning; Lightman won't work with some rechargeable alkaline batteries; there are two "grades" of Lightman strobe - high power and medium power

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Luca O
Cross Country Rider [Sep 19, 2005]

Strength:

Will rid the world of some fools

Weakness:

Worse than useless

I have been using this light in the past year for lack of alternatives. I cannot believe I put up for almost a year with this rubbish.

This product is flimsy, heavy, eats batteries and throws a pitiful light. Its dismal quality is what saved me, as it literally fell apart while I was replacing the batteries. The bulb fell and broke, some of the bits I never recovered.

I realized what a fool I was to entrust my safety to this thing, and I invested in a proper light.

I am quite sure you can find better quality items in a cereal box.

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Luca O Cross Country Rider

[Sep 19, 2005]

Strength:

Will rid the world of some fools

Weakness:
Worse than useless

I have been using this light in the past year for lack of alternatives. I cannot believe I put up for almost a year with this rubbish.

This product is flimsy, heavy, eats batteries and throws a pitiful light. Its dismal quality is what saved me, as it literally fell apart while I was replacing the batteries. The bulb fell and broke, some of the bits I never recovered.

I realized what a fool I was to entrust my safety to this thing, and I invested in a proper light.

I am quite sure you can find better quality items in a cereal box.

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Steve Smith
Cross Country Rider [Apr 14, 2005]

Strength:

cheap; very bright beam (for the first 30 minutes!)

Weakness:

extremely poor battery life

I was impressed with the high-intensity beam when I first put the batteries in (all FOUR of them!), but after only 30 minutes or so, it started to dim. Two hours later, no more light. If you commute at night (like me, 30 minutes each way), you'll find yourself burning through at least a dozen AA batteries a month. Save your battery $ and buy a better light.

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Steve Smith Cross Country Rider

[Apr 14, 2005]

Strength:

cheap; very bright beam (for the first 30 minutes!)

Weakness:
extremely poor battery life

I was impressed with the high-intensity beam when I first put the batteries in (all FOUR of them!), but after only 30 minutes or so, it started to dim. Two hours later, no more light. If you commute at night (like me, 30 minutes each way), you'll find yourself burning through at least a dozen AA batteries a month. Save your battery $ and buy a better light.